As Florida begins to prepare for the swiftly approaching hurricane Dorian, disaster preparation and recovery by local and state government has become an increasingly relevant topic. The result of natural disasters can be devastating, and government officials are having the foresight to prepare for anticipated and unanticipated damages. If you have a GSA Schedule contract you may be wondering how to provide products or services to local and state government agencies that are in need during a natural, or man-made disaster such as hurricane Dorian.
How the Disaster Purchasing Program Works
The Department of Homeland Security allows all services and products available under GSA Schedules through the Disaster Purchasing Program, which in the event of a natural or man-made disaster, such as acts of terrorism or nuclear, biological, chemical, or radiological attack, equipment and services can be purchased by state and local governments from the GSA Schedules. This includes in preparation, response, or in recovery of declared disasters that is listed by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).The Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico have already been listed under Disaster Declarations on FEMA in the past few days due to do hurricane Dorian, and Florida is anticipated to follow suit.
State or local government institutions are defined in section 40 U.S.C § 502 (c) as “The term, ‘State or local government’ includes any State, local, regional, or tribal government, or any instrumentality thereof (including any local educational agency or institution of higher education).” This does not include contractors or grantees that may be eligible; eligibility requests can be submitted to GSA.
Authorized GSA Schedule contractors, contracts, products and services are identified with a Disaster Purchasing icon. This icon means that state and local agencies can purchase from these contractors or grantees only in event of disaster or recovery. These purchases are limited to GSA Schedule contracts and Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) only. Schedule contractors identified with the Disaster Purchasing icon have the option of accepting orders placed by state and local agencies, and they are authorized to decline an order within a five-day period. Products or services purchased under the Disaster Purchasing Program must only be used for disaster preparation, response, or recovery from declared disasters.
Do Your Provide Products and Services That Support Disaster Relief Efforts?
GSA Schedule holders that provide these services need to make sure the government knows you can offer them under the Disaster purchasing program. If you do not have this icon, you will need to submit a modification to update your contract. If you need assistance or have additional questions, reach out to Coley GCS at hello@coleygsa.com or directly at 210-402-6766 and we will ensure that the contract is primed for these conditions.
Vice President for Coley GCS, LLC, a Government Contracts Consulting, Coaching and Training company. Daniel is a Certified Federal Contracts Manager (CFCM) and leads the day-to-day operations of Coley’s consulting practice. He has two decades of experience with the acquisition, management, and marketing of Federal, State, and Local government contracts. Daniel specializes in all aspects of GSA Schedules management and marketing and has helped hundreds of Coley clients remain compliant with the terms of their GSA contract while helping them expand their business.